UK teams sets 2 km record for hot-water drilling

A UK team has drilled over 2152 metres down to the base of the West Antarctic ice sheet, setting a new record for hot-water drilling.

Often scientists remove ‘ice cores’ to learn more about how our planet responded to climate change in the past. But with the hot-water technique, the scientists create a deep hole using a jet of hot water, then drop instruments down instead. It’s quick but technically challenging.

By successfully drilling right down to the sediment under the ice sheet, the team hopes to understand better the effects of future sea level rises.

How does it work? Read more from the BBC and the British Antarctic Survey.